


Instructions For A Bad Day

by Tangerine



Category: X-Force (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Alcohol, Bets & Wagers, Bodily Fluids, M/M, Mexico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-08 17:16:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14110209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangerine/pseuds/Tangerine
Summary: Rictor and Shatterstar's very bad day.





	Instructions For A Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "FREE SPACE (BETS/WAGERS)" square for Round 10 of [Trope Bingo](https://trope-bingo.dreamwidth.org/).

Julio wasn't sure where they were, and he didn't really care. There was a bar, which hopefully meant food, and he was fucking starving. It had been a long day, and he was exhausted and filthy and covered in something he thought might be puke. Not his, thankfully, but from somebody he shared blood with.

He also suspected Star was hiding some sort of grievous injury, because he hadn't said much for the last half hour, and that was definitely something he did, when it came to shit like that, as Julio had learned. 

"You okay, dude?" Julio asked, pulling the truck into the nearest parking spot and turning the engine off. He tilted his head back against the headrest, looking over at Star, who had a smear of something painted on his cheek. Blood or shit, he thought, from the colour, but it was hard to tell in this light. 

"I'm fine," Star replied after taking a deep breath, like he needed to centre himself first. "You?"

Julio scrubbed a hand through his hair, ignoring the sticky bits that caught his knuckles. "I smell like a corpse, but yeah, good. Not our best work, but we got the job done. You have something on your face." 

"I know. I am ignoring it," Star told him. Probably a wise decision. 

The good thing about looking like they did when they walked into the place was everyone gave them a wide berth. Julio nodded at the bartender, who smirked but didn't say anything, just continued wiping down the counter. He was insanely good-looking, almost on Star's level, and Julio looked away quickly. 

Inside the bathroom, he grabbed Star by the shirt before he could disappear into a stall then practically pulled it off him when Star chose to ignore him and continue walking. They tussled for a bit, but eventually Star sighed, standing there stoically as Julio checked him over for whatever he was hiding. He quickly found it: a gash under his arm, raw and bloody, caked with the same crap on his cheek.

"I'm not even going to ask," Julio said, opening up his bag and tugging out the first aid kit, laying it open on the nearest sink, balanced on the edge. Quickly, he soaped up and scrubbed his hands clean. 

Star exhaled sharply. "I let my guard down, and there was a knife. It was an embarrassing mistake."

Julio decided he did want to know after all. "And this brown stuff?"

"Exactly what you think," Star replied, taking the antiseptic cloth Julio handed to him and dragging it forcefully over his cheek. "I might have been too aggressive towards someone with delicate nerves."

"Are you saying you scared the literal shit out of one of my cousins?"

"Yes," Star replied, twitching when Julio pressed one of the cloths to his wound and started to carefully clean it. "I can't recall who it was, so don't bother asking. I would rather just forget the whole incident."

"Well, I think my cousin Alberto vomited on me after I punched him in the stomach, if that helps."

"It doesn't, but thank you." 

Julio laughed. "I bet this wasn't what you were expecting when you volunteered to help."

"Not quite," Star admitted, doing that half smile thing he did now, and Julio grinned, tugging another wipe out of the package. The cut wasn't as deep as he feared, but it was ugly as shit. Whoever had given it to Star didn't know a thing about knives or fighting clean. "This is really not necessary, Julio."

"Humour me," he replied, dabbing gently at Star's red, mangled skin, "you don't need to suffer needlessly just because you can. I don't like seeing it, okay? It makes me feel better to do this for you. Plus, it's totally gonna fester, with the shit and all. You should have let me do this half an hour ago."

"We were being shot at," Star protested. 

"I'm sure if we'd asked nicely, my family would have stopped trying to kill us for a minute or two."

Star snorted softly, lifting his arm so Julio had better access, and he made quick work of laying down a neat row of butterfly stitches. Too much practice, Julio thought ruefully. Their time in Mexico hadn't exactly been a walk in the park so far, and they were both getting pretty good at patching the other up. Star technically didn't need it most of the time, but Julio _wanted_ to. Felt like he owed Star that much. 

Julio ripped open a package of gauze and laid it over his handiwork, as Star tore off pieces of medical tape and handed them to him as needed. Julio stood back, admiring his handiwork, then scrubbed his hands again as Star leaned around him and pulled a clean t-shirt out of the knapsack, shrugging it on. 

"Thank you," Star said.

"What are friends for?" Julio asked, wiping his hands dry on his jeans. "You hiding anything else?"

"I wasn't hiding that, but no, that is my only injury. As I said, he caught me by surprise."

Julio laughed, tugging off his own shirt then leaning over the sink, turning on the faucet and cupping water in his hand, splashing it over his head. "Hey, I believe you, amigo. This is a no judgment zone." 

"I am judging you slightly for punching someone in the stomach after lunchtime."

"Oh, fuck off," Julio said, laughing again, and Star smiled at him, just a small little thing, pulling at the corner of his lips. Sometimes, Julio thought about taking a picture, just so he had proof it was possible. "Okay, can we both agree we have a couple things to work on? This shit is harder than I expected."

"It has been very humbling," Star conceded, standing back, arms crossed. "Is that good for your hair?"

Julio paused, palm halfway to his head, a healthy dollop of hand soap standing in for shampoo. "Soap is soap. Unlike you, I'm not going for shiny and luxurious. I'm settling for puke-free and good enough."

Star shrugged, eyes half on the door. With more rigour than necessary, Julio scrubbed his fingers through his hair, trying to coax the shitty soap into a lather and stubbornly refusing to admit Star had probably been right. He was right all the fucking time, and it was annoying as shit more often than not.

Julio rinsed out as well he could, trying not to make a mess. "I know we're running a little low on cash, but I could really go for a shower and a bed tonight. You okay if we find some shitty motel to crash at?"

"That's fine," Star said, handing him a few paper towels to dry off with, and Julio took them gratefully. 

"Food first, though. I'm about to chew off my own arm."

"Please do not do that," Star said.

Julio honestly couldn't tell if he was joking or not, and it was funny either way, so he didn't really care. Chuckling to himself, he tugged on a clean shirt and packed up his bag. Still laughing a little, he followed Star out into the main part of the bar. "Hey," he said, "I'm gonna see if they have a menu." 

"I will secure a table," Star replied absently, eyes scanning the room, still on alert.

"Do you want something to drink?" Julio asked before Star wandered off. "Something more fun than water."

"Maybe," Star replied slowly, like Julio had just suggested they enjoy a glass of bleach together. 

"We've had a shitty day. In your case, literally. And I'm pretty sure I have vomit down my back. I'll get us something to drink," Julio decided, gaze flickering over the alcohol options on the shelves across the back wall. "You want me just to order? I doubt they have a ton of options. I know what you like to eat."

"Nothing overly spicy."

"I know, you big wimp," Julio replied, grinning, and Star rolled his eyes before walking off. 

Julio wandered over to the bar, resting his elbows on the counter, yawning. The bartender was serving drinks to a group of smiling young women, who kept looking in Star's direction, whispering cut with giggles. Julio glanced over at Star, who looked back at him, eyebrows raised questioningly. Julio made an impatient _I don't know I'm gathering intel shut up_ motion with his hand, and Star frowned deeply.

There was a discarded menu on the bar, so Julio grabbed it, splitting his attention between his need for food and his need to eavesdrop. They were obviously talking about Star, but they seemed to be ... _holy shit_ , Julio thought, quickly turning his attention back to the menu when one of them looked over at him. He overheard snippets of conversation – words like _red-head_ , _giant_ and _insanely fuckable_. Which he almost laughed at – because truer words and all that shit – but he also knew Star got flustered easily. 

_Jesus_ , he thought, flipping to the next page of the menu, playing it the coolest he had even been. It was a bet. They were betting who could ... kiss him? Dance with him? Get his number? Julio snorted softly. He wasn't even sure Star knew how to use a phone. In that moment, he wished he had mutant hearing.

"Can I get you and your gringo friend anything?" The bartender asked, voice hitching a little on _friend_. 

"Yeah. Two bottles of Bohemia, two shots of tequila. And uh," Julio flipped through the menu again, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck, trying to ignore the bartender's smile, "the fajitas, I guess. Beef and chicken. And go easy on the seasoning with the chicken, for my friend. He's a little delicate."

"Doesn't look it," the bartender replied, his gaze blatant as he glanced over Julio's shoulder. He reached under the bar and set two shot glasses on the counter. "You'll have to forgive everyone. We never get anyone interesting around here, and then you two walk into our lives, and the night suddenly looks up."

"Where exactly are we?"

"I ask myself that every morning," the bartender replied with a grin, popping the cap off the first beer and then the second, sliding both towards Julio. "You ever heard of a tiny little place called Leapi?"

"No."

"Then you haven't heard of us either," the bartender laughed. "You're a city boy if I've ever seen one."

"Uh, thanks?" 

"It's a compliment," the bartender assured him warmly, letting his eyes sweep over the length of Julio's body. It was a hot, knowing gaze, and Julio felt his face flush. "City boys are completely my type."

Julio had been waiting for this moment his entire life, to either loudly turn the guy down because there was no way he was gay or maybe consent to experiment a little in order to be sure, but he just managed to stare, swallow hard, and take his drinks off the counter, the beers pinched between the fingers on his left hand and the shots precariously balanced in the palm of his right. The bartender smiled again.

"What did the bartender say to you?" Star asked, when Julio joined him at the table.

Julio let Star take the two shots then put down the beers. "Why do you ask?"

"Your expression is troubled," Star replied, glancing at the counter. "Do I need to intimidate him?"

"No, it's fine. I just don't have a high tolerance for other people's shit right now. Forget him."

"If you wish," Star said reluctantly. 

Julio pushed one of the shots towards Star, who regarded it suspiciously but picked it up when Julio held his out. They bumped the rims of the glasses gently then drank, Julio watching out of the corner of his eye to make sure Star didn't toss the liquid over his shoulder. His disgusted face spoke volumes.

"I did learn two things. One, I know where we are, more or less. We're near a place called Leapi."

Star reached into Julio's backpack and pulled out their ragged map. He scanned it quickly then nodded, rooting around until he found a pen then circled it. Julio leaned over to see where exactly they'd ended up, then sat back with a groan. They were so far off course it wasn't even funny. "And the second?"

Julio smirked. "This place is loud as fuck, but I think I got the gist of their conversation. I hate to tell you, but those women at the bar bet each other to see who could get your attention. Sorry, dude."

"Fekt," Star said, with the same tone he used when Julio told him to turn off the TV and go to bed.

Julio brought his beer to his mouth, took a deep swig, then shrugged. "You can just ignore them."

"This day just keeps getting worse and worse," Star said with a deep scowl.

Julio laughed. "Oh no, I'm so beautiful, everybody wants to sleep with me."

"That's not true."

"It is. I don't think there's a single person in this bar you couldn't fuck, if you wanted to, and they were willing. Including the bartender, if you wanted to give him a go. I'm pretty sure he's open to the idea."

Star glanced over at bartender again but said nothing else, his expression severe.

"They're just having a bit of harmless fun, Star. If you're not ready for anything, you're not ready."

Star frowned, and Julio thought that was the end of it, until Star said, "I never said I wasn't ready."

Julio choked a little on his beer. "Really?" 

Star shrugged, looking morose, and Julio tried to smile. He had not expected those words to hurt so much, which was so ridiculous. So, so ridiculous. It wasn't Star's fault that Julio couldn't get his shit together or that it was insanely embarrassing to get passed by the confused alien in the race to get laid.

Fuck, Julio thought, draining the rest of his beer and staring across the room, maybe I should just sleep with the bartender. He was hot as fuck, he'd made his interest clear, _and_ it would answer a whole shitload of questions. Best-case scenario: Julio got his dick sucked. Worst-case: he actually liked it.

Easy, right? Except Julio had never been the type to have anything come easy. 

"Why are you looking at the bartender like that?" Star asked suddenly.

"I'm hungry," Julio snapped, a little meaner than he intended, "and I need another beer."

"Yes, me too," Star agreed, standing up. "I will get it this time."

"Fine," Julio replied. 

Star wandered off, and Julio tugged the map across the table. It probably wouldn't be bad to lay low here, for a day or two. It'd stretch them pretty thin, but they could afford to hole up for a while. Maybe they could pick up some quick work here, too. He'd ask the bartender, but. Well. Yeah, he couldn't. 

He looked over at Star, who had two of the women invading his personal space, and if Julio didn't feel so rotten about the idea of Star sleeping with one of them, the expression on his face would have been hilarious. As it was, he just kinda felt sorry for him. He didn't look like a guy who was ready either.

"Star," he shouted across the room, pitching his voice to carry, "where's my fucking beer, dude?"

"Thank you," Star said, sliding onto his chair with two beers in hand. He gave one to Julio. 

"Any time." Julio folded up the map and put it back into his bag then leaned back in his chair a little, bringing the bottle of beer to his mouth. "So ... I think we should stay in this area for a bit and recover."

"Your family would never look for us here," Star agreed. 

"We have enough money for a couple nights, if we're careful and we pick up some day work," Julio explained easily, "though you if you decide you want someone to win this bet, and it, you know, works out for you, I can just crash alone in the truck tonight. Not worth it to get a room for just one of us."

Star looked at him, expression unreadable. "Would you prefer that?"

"Okay, I'm _not_ trying to pimp you out to save some money. If you _wanted_ to go home with someone ..."

"Julio, please," Star said, making a face, cheeks pink. "I don't want to. Why would you think that?"

"You said you felt ready," Julio protested, feeling weirdly defensive, but Star was giving off a lot of mixed signals, and it'd been a long day. "I'm just saying, if I'm the one cock-blocking you, ditch me. I'd probably sleep better in the truck without you and your miles of legs taking up all the space anyway."

"Why don't _you_ engage in sexual relations with someone?" Star retorted. "Then I could sleep alone."

Julio took a long, angry swig of his beer. "Why are we fighting about this again?"

"I don't know. You started it." Star frowned. "Would it make you happy if I picked someone to win?"

"Do whatever you want," Julio replied.

"Okay, I will," Star assured him. 

It wasn't their first fight, and being perfectly honest, it wasn't their most ridiculous one either. Under the table, he bumped one of Star's knees with his, a clear apology, and Star bumped him back, apology accepted.

The food finally arrived, which meant Julio couldn't run his mouth off because he was too busy stuffing it like he hadn't eaten all day, which was closer to the truth than not. A shot of tequila and two beers on an empty stomach had been a bad idea, and he could feel it in his limbs, heavy. Eating would help that.

"It is okay?" Julio asked between gulps, wiping a napkin across his lips. 

"Perfectly bland," Star said admiringly. "Thank you."

Julio nodded, then proceeded to resume shovelling food into his mouth. The bartender brought over another round of tequila shots, with a bemused expression. "A shot from the ladies," he explained. He met Julio's eyes and smiled that same knowing smile. "And one on the house, for his handsome friend."

Star sighed deeply. 

Going against his better judgment to just pretend the bartender had not just _blatantly hit on him right in front of Shatterstar holy shit_ , Julio forced himself to ask, "hey, is there a cheap motel around here?"

"Not here," the bartender replied, "but about twenty minutes down the road, heading east."

"Are you good to drive?" Julio asked.

"Yes," Star said, "assuming it is a straight line, and you are still conscious to answer my questions."

"Great," Julio replied, turning back to the bartender. "Thanks for the information."

The bartender exhaled sharply, still looking amused, then wandered back to the bar. Seriously, Julio thought, _could_ this day get any worse? He hadn't shaved or bathed for days. He smelled awful. Not even the food could completely hide the faint mix of vomit and shit. He was at his least fuckable.

"Don't even start," Julio told Star, lifting his shot and waiting for Star to cheers him. The shots were entirely unnecessary and mostly unwelcome, but Julio also wasn't fool enough to turn down free booze. 

Star, evidently, agreed, because he drained the glass. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Let's just eat, so we can get out of here. I need a shower, a couple hours of television, and a bed."

Star nodded, and they proceeded to clear the table of anything edible. Despite this place quickly turning into Julio's own personal hell, the cook had talent, and it was the first full meal he'd had in days. He was buzzed enough that he was pleasantly feeling it, basically forced to relax but still in his right mind.

"I think I have something in my eye," Star said suddenly, as Julio swallowed his last bite.

"Like an eyeball?" Julio asked, but Star just stared at him blithely. 

"I require your help," Star told him, "in the bathroom. Where the light is better."

"Are you afraid to piss alone because you think you're going to be mobbed by hot women?"

"There is something in my eye," Star repeated. "I need your help. It might get infected, Julio."

"Fine," Julio said, grabbing the backpack off the floor, and following Star across the room, into the dingy little bathroom. It hadn't been cleaned since they'd last been in there. The lingering scent was unmistakable. "You shouldn't normally trust drunk guys near your eyeballs, but okay, let's do this."

"There is nothing in my eye," Star replied. "I just wanted to tell you I picked a winner." 

"Okay," Julio said flatly, resisting the urge to throw his arms up in dismay. Fuck this day, seriously.

"I thought you should know," Star said. 

"Great. I'm sure whoever you picked is going to be very happy."

"I hope so."

And then Star was kissing him, just like that, zero warning. Julio stepped back, surprised, and Star's hand came up behind him, catching his head before it thumped against the wall. The kiss was terrible, in part because of Star's obvious inexperience, but mostly because he was just standing there, taking it. Like he hadn't been thinking about this for months, agonizing, longing, desperate for his best friend.

"Are you drunk?" Julio forced himself to ask, just in case, keeping his eyes closed.

"Not at all," Star assured him, words warm against Julio's lips. "Why are you not kissing me back?"

"It's been that type of day," Julio admitted, unable to stop his body from bending towards Star, especially when Star combed his fingers into Julio's hair, tilting his head up, "but yeah, okay, try again please."

Star kissed him again, ridiculously chaste, and Julio opened up under him, trying to guide him, to show him. Star, always a quick learner, got what he was doing, and then yeah, that was a nice kiss, deep and wet. Julio's hands slid around Star's waist, under his shirt and over the bare skin at his lower back. Star made a small, insanely hot noise and surged forward a little, pushing against him, lifting him slightly.

Holy shit, Julio thought, that's his cock against my belly. It shouldn't have been a surprise that Star was hard – bio-engineered to fully simulate physical human interaction and all that technical shit they'd been over together already – but to know that hard-on was for him, that was a little new and startling.

"Star, we can't do this, in this bathroom," Julio ground out, twisting his hand in the thin fabric of Star's t-shirt as he pressed his forehead against Star's shoulder, making his mouth inaccessible for more kisses. "I really don't want to do anything before either of us takes a shower. We're so gross right now." 

"Very well," Star replied with a resigned sigh. "If you insist."

"I do."

Star stepped back. "I want to make it clear who won the bet. I will be obvious yet discreet, I promise."

"Yeah, okay, sure, if it's within reason," Julio said, putting his hand over the front of his jeans and adjusting himself, yanking his shirt out of his waistband and checking in the mirror to make sure everything looked ... not overly gay. "I never plan on seeing any of these people again anyway."

"Even the bartender?"

"For the record, he was trying to fuck me, not the other way around. I considered it for, like, three minutes, max. I'm not ... I mean," Julio took a deep breath, looking Star in the eyes for the first time since the kiss. "I don't know what I mean. This isn't easy for me, even if it's you. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Star assured him, touching a gentle finger to his cheek. "Are _you_ ready, Julio?"

"I guess we'll find out," Julio replied with a crooked smile. "Just don't do anything crazy, okay?"

"I was merely going to slide my hand under the back of your shirt, like you did to me, while you paid the bill." 

Star paused, and Julio raised an eyebrow. "And that's it?"

"Perhaps glare at the bartender," Star admitted reluctantly. "Within reason, of course."

"Of course."

"I will make this day better for you, Julio," Star said, earnest enough that whatever composure Julio had managed to get back crumbled in an instant. Julio looked at him, and Star slid his whole hand over Julio's cheek, leaning down, kissing him again, brief and sweet. "I will shower with you, and then I will kiss you again, and then I will have sexual relations with you. You will be happy that you won this bet."

"I wasn't even part of this stupid bet," Julio grumbled as he handed the backpack to Star then bumped him with his shoulder, smiling, "and I'm already pretty happy about winning, so don't worry about it."

"I won't," Star assured him, sliding a hand beneath the hem of his t-shirt and leading him out.


End file.
